A question on surveys

tarboy · #1 (**permalink**) 02-24-2008

I'm looking at a 1981 Catalina 27. I will need to travel a thousand miles to check it out. I am planning to have the boat hauled for survey.
I have two concerns:
1. Is there a risk of collusion using a surveyor who works in the neighborhood of the marina where the boat is docked?
2. Is it necessary to take down the mast to inspect the standing rigging?
The boat appears in the photos to have been well maintained. It has a recently installed diesel engine still on warranty.
Any feedback will be very welcome.
Thank you,
Bill

chucklesR · #2 (**permalink**) 02-24-2008

#1 Always, therefore pick you own surveyor, and pick him from the list of qualified and certified surveyors. Even then study up on what a proper survey should look for and don't take your eyes off 'em. Do your own at the same time and ask questions throughout. Once bought it's pretty much yours.

#2 no.

camaraderie · #3 (**permalink**) 02-24-2008

1. YES...suggest you ask for recommendations here from members or ask broker for list of surveyors he recommends and disregard those! If no broker is involved, I would not worry about it. DO ask the surveyor if he is familiar with the Catalina 27 and has done surveys on some before.
2. NO...not for a cursory examination. Many surveyors inspect the lower rigging and use binoculars for the mast head.

tarboy · #4 (**permalink**) 02-24-2008

Thanks very much. The boat I'm considering is on Merritt Island, Florida near the Cape Canaveral canal. I have sent inquiries to 'licensed' surveyors but I wonder what agency issues said license. Can anyone here recommend a surveyor in that area who knows the Catalina 27's?
Thanks again.
Bill

camaraderie · #5 (**permalink**) 02-24-2008

SAMS and ABYC are the two main accrediting organizations and they both have lists of surveyors by state and area available on their site. Hopefully one of the members here will chime in with a good guy in the Merrit Island FL area.

soul searcher · #6 (**permalink**) 02-24-2008

I don't know if there would be a travel chharge but you might want to get one from another town. most of the surveyors I have met travel quite a bit.
As slow as boat sales are right now I would think that they would drive a bit for free just to get the job.
We used a guy from Snead Island and its not that far from Tampa to Canaveral.
IF they wont go up the mast I wouldn't hire them.

tarboy · #7 (**permalink**) 02-24-2008

Thanks, guys. I checked the lists of surveyors in Sailnet 'Articles'. Long lists indeed!
Soul Searcher, may I ask you to E-mail to me the name and contact info for your surveyor.
Thanks,
Bill

hellosailor · #8 (**permalink**) 02-24-2008

Bill, you might also ask your insurer if they work with any surveyors in the area. Insurers and loan companies are known to sometimes say "You must use one of these guys" so you might as well ask up front.

On a 1981 boat, some insurers would also say the standing rigging must be replaced--regardless of condition, simply because it is more than 20 years old. That's not just arbitrary, older rigging is more likely to surprise you. If you run a rag up the rigging (using a halyard and downhaul) and it snags anywhere, on any meathooks, that's reason to replace it. You also really want to examine the fittings aloft for cracks--and you can't really do that except up close, preferably with a dye check kit. But that you could also provide for with an escrow agreement, or hoisting the surveyor aloft. It's a short trip on a 27'er.

artbyjody · #9 (**permalink**) 02-24-2008

Here is a survey done on a Cat-27 just so you can a heads up on types of questions to ask:

http://www.blumhorst.com/catalina27/...es-deleted.pdf

cardiacpaul · #10 (**permalink**) 02-24-2008

tar,
its too far away for me to do it, but go post 3 or four times on the song thread and I'll send you a PM with some ideas